Clicks but no sales, need some website feedback

Thanks for the fast reply and advice! I was doing EBay for a while but it's even worse than Amazon with fees and seller-unfriendly policies (feedback policy for one) so I walked away. I may have to reconsider that and just bite the bullet for a while to get some traction. I would still love to figure out what is turning people off at the site in the meantime, it's becoming an obsession trying to tweak it, lol.

The site appears overly focused on wanting people to buy without providing visitors any incentive to do so. You need to provide a good user experience. Stop focusing on what you want visitors to do, and think more about what your visitors want your site to do for them. Put yourself in their place and think about what you would want to see if you were the visitor.

First, remove the "Free shipping today only". The fake scarcity and coupon code make it look cheesy, especially when they are placed at the very top of the screen. Plus, that is taking up prime real estate at the top of the page. Those are also the only words you have bolded. It makes it a little too obvious.

I don't know what your reasoning is for the coupon code, but it would likely come across as more professional if you simply stated that you had free shipping. Even then, only have it on the store page (or maybe in the sidebar).

Instead, provide some information on what the purpose of the site is. What is it your visitors are looking for? Whatever you have at the top of the page should let them know that they have come to the right place.

The blue-green background under the text makes reading hard on the eyes. Change it to something a little more off-white.

Overall, the text is a bit too small, especially the post titles.

The posts need some images and better formatting

Though, I think the blog is completely wrong for the site, anyway. At least as a home page.

The images in the sidebar linking to products is unnecessary and a waste (your selection isn't that big). Put in a real sidebar. Have links to the articles there rather than expecting people to scroll through a blog. Blogs rolls are good for certain things, but not really great for stores.

The navigation at the top is confusing, as it changes depending on the page you are on. They need to stay consistent. Anything labeled "home" should take you to the home page. On the store page the link for the store turns into "store home", and the link to the home page turns into "blog and travel tips". Confusing visitors like that does not build a lot of trust.

You can keep the blog roll, but put it in its own link in the navigation, and get rid of the word "blog" and just call it "travel tips". I would still have a listing of "top posts" or "recent posts" in the sidebar to attract attention.

The home page should focus on what the site is there to provide, along with, maybe, vacation images, and/or links to important pages/articles on your site (with explanations as to why a visitor may want to visit those pages).

The store pages has almost no description as to its purpose. You need some info up there. What are you selling, and why would they want to buy it?

You suggested pack lists page has a heading listed twice in different sizes. Remove one. I would also suggest removing the "First a list of" "next, a list of". They make the sentences much longer than they need to be. People tend to scan pages so you need to make them as concise as possible.

The listing itself is just a wall of text. Too small, and too scrunched together. Bigger text and better spacing, especially between the bullet points. Maybe bolding on the items themselves so that they stand out from the descriptions.

As others have mentioned, the store itself is rather light. Adding more products would help. In the meantime, your best bet is to give the appearance that the store is not the focus of the site. The site is to provide visitors with information they need to have a better travel experience. The store is just there as a convenience. Build up the rest of the site with quality content, and they may stay and shop.

I really can't say if the items are a good idea or not. I have no idea of what your customers might be looking for, or expecting. I also have no idea if the prices are good. You could try some split testing with different prices to see if it makes a difference.

Echo the sentiments of a few others in here. Get rid of the blue container - it makes the text nearly impossible to read - black on white (or as close as possible) is the way to go.

What I see that is good is you are working on your branding. EXTREMELY important for an eCommerce store. You need to differentiate yourself from the competition in order to justify your higher prices. I think that 'Cruise Comfort' is fantastic, keep working on the branding!

The Bad - Your flagship product - The 'State Room Comfort Pack':

Cabin Comfort Pack - Deluxe

Is TERRIBLY represented. The image is horrible, and it looks like a pile of garbage instead of the 'luxury' item that it is supposed to be!

Here is what I am thinking if I am looking at that item as a prospect (judging the image you have):

Wet ones? .25 cents. Charmin tissue? $1.00. Surge Protector? $4.99 Some funny looking plastic Bags? What do I need those for??

Harsh, I know, but get what I am saying? As a prospect, I am seeing less than $10 of value here. Why would I pay a store I have NEVER done business with $60 for $10 worth of stuff?

Of course, I know that stuff is worth more, but unless you are really really digging into it, it really doesn't look like it is. Make the value of what you are providing immediately apparent to your prospects, otherwise they will leave and shop at eBay or amazon instead!

This feedback is like gold to me, I see some definite quick-hits to help in the short term. I will have to give some sincere thought to breaking away from the cheapo godaddy shopping cart site and maybe getting a pro involved for the design and articles. I'll do the low-hanging-fruit changes in the meantime while I decide whether this is worthwhile.

I can't thank you all enough, what an awesome resource this forum is

As Arnold said in The Terminator... "I'll be back" (but unlike him I mean it in a good way!)